Winner at a Losing Game
by michellemtsu
Summary: Second installment of the Hope Springs Eternal series. Sequel to Demons. Takes place 6 months later. Josef asks Mick and Beth to investigate a possible case of industrial espianoge.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: **Here is my sequel to _Demons_. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Enjoy!**  
**

**Chapter One**

The dark haired woman fidgeted in her chair; she was decidedly uncomfortable. Fortunately for her, the private investigator sitting across from her was used to such nervous clients. He'd seen her kind more times than he could count--longer than he cared to remember. What he didn't know was that this case would take his already complicated life into the stratosphere of complicated lives.

The case began ordinarily enough. Janelle Davis suspected her new husband of three months was being unfaithful. The husband, Jack, showed all the classic signs: he was distant, rarely home, had strange charges on his credit card bill. Mick didn't often work on cases of philandering; missing persons were more his specialty. However, something intrigued him about this one; he just couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Mick took down Mrs. Davis's contact information and she handed him a manila folder that contained her husband's vital stats. Mick promised to get back to her in a couple of days; sooner if he found anything. He had just started perusing the folder on the mysterious Jack Davis when his phone rang.

"St. John."

"Mick, it's Josef."

"Hello to you too," Mick said in a sarcastic tone.

"Do you think you could get off your morally superior high horse and get over here? I have something I need you to look into."

"This isn't another of your once-a-decade booty calls again, is it?" Mick asked.

Mick could practically hear Josef's scowl over the phone. "No. Look, can you get over hear or not?"

It must be serious if Josef wouldn't tell him over the phone. "Yeah, I'm on my way."

"Oh, bring Beth with you."

"Beth? Why?"

"Another pair of eyes never hurts," Josef said cryptically.

Wow. It must be serious if Josef was asking for Beth. Ever since the Ernst case six months ago, Josef had avoided the topic of Beth whenever possible. Josef believed that Mick was making a mistake, getting involved with a human. But out of respect for Mick, he held his tongue. Mostly.

Mick, meanwhile, dialed Beth's cell. She picked up on the first ring.

"What's up?" she said without preamble.

"You busy?" Mick asked.

"I think this is the slowest news day in the history of the world. Tell me you have something."

"Josef wants us to come over," Mick informed her.

"Is he still not speaking to me?"

Mick hesitated. "I think he's coming around. He asked that I bring you along specifically."

"Why's that?"

"Another pair of eyes. That's all he said."

"Guess we'll just have to wait and see then," said Beth in a resigned voice.

"Pick you up in fifteen minutes?"

"I'll be ready."

Mick hung up the phone and grabbed his car keys. He headed out the door without looking back, his philandering husband case forgotten. As he climbed in the car, he wondered yet again what Josef wanted and especially why he insisted that Beth come. There were times, like now, when Mick really didn't understand his friend. But Josef had been there for Mick when no one else was through the decades, so Mick was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Fifteen minutes later, Beth climbed into the passenger side of the Mercedes.

"Am I glad to see you." She kissed him on the cheek.

"That bad, huh?"

"Mo was about to send me out to cover Brad and Angelina's latest refugee. I told her I had a lead on a story. I got out of there just in time."

Mick grinned at her. "Glad to be of service." He pulled out into traffic and pointed the Mercedes in the direction of Josef's.

"You do anything fun today?" Beth asked.

After six months together, Mick was still surprised by her. Little things like asking about his day did that. It made him feel almost normal. Almost. Mick was all too aware of how un-normal he and Beth really were.

"Got a cheating husband. Well, I did until Josef called. The way he sounded it looks like my client may have to stew for a few more days."

A few minutes later Mick pulled into the parking garage of Josef's building. He and Beth got out of the car and headed up to Josef's. Beth had only been there once but it was a memorable visit. She hoped that Josef did require anything quite so…provocative of her. The elevator door dinged as the exited onto Josef's floor. Mick made a beeline for Josef's desk; Beth followed in his wake. Josef was waiting for them.

"Hello, Josef."

"Mick. Beth. Have a seat." The two of them sat sown in the chairs opposite Josef's desk.

"So what's so important that you had to drag us from our respective jobs?" Mick asked.

Josef smirked. "How are you with industrial espionage?"  
_  
To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"OK, I'll bite. What's going on?" Mick said.

Josef looked from Mick to Beth and back again, his eyes questioning the unintentional pun. He chose to ignore it. "Cornell Microsystems. Their star programmer and his multi-million dollar program have gone missing."

"Cornell Microsystems? Isn't that a subsidiary of the Guggenheim Group?" Beth asked.

"Indeed it is," Josef confirmed.

"Wait a second. Don't you own a controlling interest in the Guggenheim Group?" Mick interjected.

"Since 1949."

Beth's eyes widened slightly. It was so easy to forget just how old Mick and Josef were. They acted so modern, clearly adapting with the times as the decades--or in Josef's case, centuries--passed by. "When you're eighty-two, I'll still look thirty," Mick had said to her once. Would he still be with her when she was eighty-two? Would he want to walk in Los Angeles with an old white haired woman? Beth didn't doubt Mick's love for her. She knew that he would love her wrinkly eighty-two year old self just as much as he would love her twenty-six year old self. But at what price? Beth didn't worry so much about aging as she did about dying. She was certain that her death, whether it was today or sixty years from now, would destroy him. Maybe not physically, but emotionally. For all eternity. With a shake of her head, Beth pushed those morbid thoughts out of her mind and refocused on the situation at hand.

"So what do you know about this programmer?" Mick asked.

"His name is Jack Davis. He was working on a new state of the art operating system that would make Bill Gates look like a monkey. He also--"

"Got married three months ago," Mick interrupted. Beth and Josef looked at him in surprise.

"How did you know?" Josef asked.

"His wife came into see me this morning. She thought he was cheating on her."

"Why'd she think that?" Josef asked.

Beth answered. "Let me guess. Never home, suspicious trips, strange credit card charges?"

Mick nodded. Josef said, "What? Are you two sharing a brain now? Excuse me while I gag."

Mick glared at Josef. Beth looked Josef in the eye and said, "A woman knows when she's being cheated on."

Josef ignored her. "Did the estimable Mrs. Davis mention that her husband was a vampire?"

Mick froze. "She married a vampire?" Suddenly, this case was hitting a little too close to home. Images of wedding night flashed across Mick's vision. Beth reached out and took Mick's hand in her own. The warmth of her touch brought Mick back to the present.

"Let me get this straight. A vampire working as a computer programmer, right? Where does the espionage come in?" asked Beth, bring the conversation back from any reminders of Coraline.

"Davis is missing. His program is missing. All of his research is missing, and he just recently had ten million dollars deposited in his bank account. You do the math," Josef snapped.

"So you think that one of Cornell's competitors paid Davis to steal his own work from you and give it to them?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

"So what do you need me for?" Beth asked.

Josef faced Beth for the first time since she entered the room. "You're going to be my leak. Once your reporter thing it should flush the buyer out."

"And if it doesn't?" Beth challenged.

"It will." They were looking daggers at one another. Mick realized it was time to go. He stood up and said to Josef, "OK, we're on it. I'll call when we have something." He turned back towards the elevator, Beth following.

"Beth," Josef said quietly. She stopped. So did Mick. Beth gave him a reassuring glance and said, "Go on. I'll meet you downstairs." Mick reluctantly climbed into the elevator, catching a glimpse of Josef and Beth as the doors closed.

"What is it?" Beth asked.

"This thing with you and Mick. It's not healthy. For either of you. You know it. He knows it. Why are you torturing yourselves?"

"Because we'd rather spend what time we have together rather than regret what could have been," Beth replied seriously.

"If you hurt him, I will make sure you regret it."

"If that happens, I'll let you."

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Mick could sense the tension coming from Beth as she climbed in the car. He knew Josef had said something to upset her. His knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. He thought, or rather hoped, that Josef had come to terms with Mick and Beth's relationship. Obviously, he was wrong.

"What did he say to you?" Mick said as he started the car.

"Nothing," Beth lied.

"Beth--"

"Josef didn't say anything that we haven't said to each other a million times already. Can we just drop it?" she asked.

Mick took a deep breath. "OK, for now." He didn't really want to drop it but knew that they wouldn't be able to concentrate on their jobs if they had another round of "I'm a vampire and you're not." Still, it was one of those fundamental issues they were going to have to deal with eventually.

"Where are we going?" Beth asked.

"I thought I'd drop you off at work so you can do your reporter thing and I'd head over to Cornell Microsystems to check things out," Mick replied.

"Why can't I go with you?"

_What did Josef say to you?, _Mick thought. It sounded like she didn't want to leave his sight, as if to reassure herself that he was there. Mick decided that he and Josef were going to have a conversation. Soon.

"OK, we'll check out Cornell together." At the next light Mick made a left turn and headed in the direction of Cornell Microsystems. Forty-five minutes later Mick pulled up to the security gate and gave the guard his name.

"Ah, Mr. St. John. Mr. Konstantin let us know you were coming. Please, go on in."

Mick pulled his Mercedes through the gate and found a parking space near the front door. He and Beth climbed out and headed through the large double doors. Mick stepped up to the reception desk and greeted the petite brunette typing away on her computer. She looked up and said, "If you could just sign in for me, sir. I'll have someone escort you upstairs."

Mick checked in on the sign in sheet and waited. Beth began to look around the lobby at the promotional materials plastered all over the walls. Most of it was in techno-speak, thereby making it difficult for Beth to fully comprehend. However, she got the basic gist: Cornell manufactured microprocessors and other internal circuitry designed to make the average PC run faster and better. Their newest enterprise was software, games mostly, but there was a poster promoting the new Hermes operating system, available in early 2009.

Beth turned to point out the poster to Mick when she saw the head of security, a Mr. Arnold, approach. She headed to Mick's side as the introductions were being made. Arnold led them to the elevator, which they took up to the fifth floor. Several rows of cubicles greeted them, each staffed with a programmer and a laptop. Only a few looked up as Arnold led Mick and Beth down the aisle towards the office on the far wall. The office was sparsely furnished, with only a desk, two chairs and a computer in evidence. There were no pictures on the walls or plants to brighten the décor. Arnold unlocked the door and gestured for Mick and Beth to go inside.

"Did anyone notice Jack acting strange or agitated prior to his disappearance?" Mick asked as he entered the office.

"Not really. He was kind neurotic to begin with. Came into work early. Stayed late. Had to be reminded to eat, things like that. You know how techno-geeks are."

Mick started rummaging through the drawers of Jack's desk. He found the normal things: paper, pens, pencils, calculator. His fingers brushed up against the bottom of the top left drawer; he felt something cold. Mick tried the door underneath; it was locked. Mick could have wrenched it open, but he didn't have to. He knew what was in there. A mini-fridge to keep Jack's blood in. Mick's musings were interrupted when Beth laid a hand on his arm.

"Mick, look at this." He looked down at the thing in Beth's hand. It was a framed photo of Jack and Janelle. They looked happy. It was the only personal item in the office. In fact, it mirrored the photo that Mick had on his desk of him and Beth. This case was beginning to mirror his own life a little too closely for Mick's liking. He looked down at the photo again; they appeared to be at a cabin somewhere.

"Any idea where this is?" Mick asked Arnold. The security guard peered at the photo.

"Nope. Never knew Jack to take a vacation anywhere."

The answer, while not surprising, was disappointing. Surely, Janelle would know where the cabin was. Perhaps Jack was there right now. It would certainly make Mick's job easier. _But then again, when does Josef ever give me the easy cases?  
_  
_To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

By the time Mick and Beth left Cornell Microsystems the sun was setting. They climbed into the Mercedes and headed for Buzz Wire. Beth still had to file her report for Josef. She was still dubious about Josef using her to dangle a carrot in front of his enemies, but they'd had precious few breaks in this case. Anything was worth a try.

When they arrived, Mick headed to one of the spare offices to call his client to see if she had any information on the whereabouts of the cabin. Beth made her way to her desk, her eyes glancing at the photo of her and Mick that she kept next to her computer. Mick had an identical photo on his desk. Sitting down, Beth pulled out the photo from Jack's office. They looked so happy. How could Jack lie about what he was? Did he think that Janelle wouldn't love him if he told her the truth? _Probably_, Beth thought. That's were she and Mick were different. Beth fell in love with _Mick_, not the vampire. Being as vampire just happened to be one aspect of who he was. She loved the whole package and accepted the limitation that their relationship caused. Mick was worth it. There were times when he needed to be reminded of that fact.

Beth got her computer up and running, beginning her search with a standard background check on Jack Davis. Not surprisingly, she didn't find much. He graduated from MIT in 1995 and worked at four different computer firms since. Interestingly, he never stayed longer than two years at each. There weren't any records older than that. No sign of a high school diploma, parents' names, anything. _That must make him at least as old as Mick,_ Beth thought, _if not older. _There wasn't really any way of telling until they found him. Beth was researching Davis's past jobs when Mick came up behind her. He pulled up a spare chair and sat down next to her.

"According to Janelle, the cabin is up in the Hollywood hills. Real secluded place. She was only there once; he took her there to propose. Jack told her it was his sanctuary," Mick reported.

"Well, that would make it a likely place to carry out industrial espionage."

"Or hide from people you've pissed off."

Beth considered that. She said, "Or that. Do you think that Jack really meant to sell his program to Josef's enemies?"

"No. I get being a work-a-holic. I get being careful with your work so no one can steal it. What I don't get is why someone would be willing to throw away the love of their life for a few million dollars."

The implication of that statement was not lost on Beth. "Neither do I. If that's true, then what does that mean?"

"It means that there's more going on here than Josef knows. What'd you find? Anything interesting?"

"Not much. Jack's moved from job to job pretty regularly. Until now. He's left every job he's had at around the two-year mark. He's been at Cornell for nearly three."

"Janelle said that she met Jack a little over a year ago," Mick said.

"Guess that explains why he's held on to this job for so long."

"A lot of vampires don't like staying in one place long. Remember Ernst? Wanderlust. Some have it worse than others."

"Do you?" Beth queried.

Mick quirked an eyebrow at her. "Trying to get rid of me? Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

Beth laughed. "It would take a lot more than wanderlust to let you out of my sight." More seriously, "Now that we've established that neither one of us is going anywhere, can we try and figure out what's going on with Jack, the would-be secret agent?"

"It's getting late. Shouldn't you get some sleep?"

"I haven't filed my report yet. Josef needs his leak, remember?"

"Anything I can do to help?"

Beth went over to the news backdrop. She setup the camera with sure movements. "All you have to do is make sure it's recording. And don't make faces at me." Mick laughed mischievously.

"Do you think I would do that?"

"Yes, you would. Now let me do my job."

Mick watched Beth give her report through the screen on the camera. He watched as she slipped effortlessly into hard-nosed reporter mode. She was damn good at her job. Beth's investigative skills had come in handy on many of his cases. She was a good sounding board to run his theories against. In return, she usually got a story out of it. Mick was thankful that part of their relationship hadn't changed since they got together. They still made a good team.

Beth interrupted his thoughts. "OK, all done. What's the plan now?"

"We wait. Hopefully by morning, that story will have caught our fish. Right now you need some sleep."

Beth stifled a yawn. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Go get your stuff. Don't make me carry you out of here."

"Is that a promise?" Beth asked coyly.

"More like a guarantee."

As enticing as that prospect was, Beth knew Mick was right. She was exhausted. Beth gathered her things and followed Mick out to the car. On the drive to Beth's apartment, she fell asleep. Mick gently shook her awake when they arrived. He helped Beth carry he things upstairs.

"I should go," Mick said when they reached her door. Beth sighed. They'd been having the same exchange every time he brought her home for the last six months. He never stayed the night. Beth, as always, was disappointed. What Josef had said to her flashed through her head. This time, instead of replying to him, Beth kissed him. Her tongue swept across Mick's bottom lip, pleading for access. He opened his mouth to her and she immediately took advantage, sliding her tongue across his teeth. She felt his incisors elongate as their tongues dueled. Mick pulled her against him, needing to feel her. Finally, Beth had to come up for air. She abruptly backed away from Mick, surprising him.

"Next time, you won't be leaving."

She was right. As Mick stood there trying to regain his composure, he felt his resolve starting to crumble. He knew that next time here would be a lot more bared than his fangs.

_To be continued…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Mick arrived back at his apartment still slightly dazed from Beth's kiss. _What brought that on?_ he wondered. They'd shared some intense kisses before, but this one was different somehow. It was possessive, almost feral. He hadn't felt like that in a long time and wasn't going to give it up any time soon. This brought him to Josef.

Mick didn't know what Josef had said to Beth but he was sure that it was the catalyst for Beth's uneven keel. One minute she doesn't want him out of her sight and the next she's trying to jump him. Figuratively speaking. So Josef had obviously struck a nerve. Mick pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Josef's number.

"You have something already? Remind me to give you a raise," Josef said after the first ring.

"You don't pay me. That's not why I'm calling. I need you to come over here. Now. We need to talk."

Josef was pretty sure what Mick wanted to talk about. "Look, Mick, I only--"

"No, Josef. Whatever you have to say, I want you to say it to my face. So get your ass over here. I have a case I'm working on." He hung up.

There were very few vampires that scared Josef. When you've lived for four hundred years, you see many vampires come and go. Most of them, including himself, careened through life caring about nothing but themselves. Even then, they followed the path of least resistance. Mick was definitely outside the norm. Mick lived with a passion and intensity that Josef secretly envied. Mick cared about things beyond where his next glass of blood was coming from. He sought out confrontation, trying to make the world better. It made Mick a dangerous opponent and scared the hell out of Josef. Reluctantly, Josef headed down to his car and drove over to Mick's fervently wishing he'd kept his mouth shut.

Mick sensed Josef outside the door before the other vampire knocked. Mick remained at his desk, hitting the remote to let Josef in.

"In here," he called.

Josef stalked into the office, staring at Mick intently as he sat down in one of the leather chairs. Josef was determined to hold his ground. Having lived four hundred years have him wisdom and he knew what was best for his friend. Or so was the conclusion he had come to on the drive over. Making Mick believe it was something else.

Josef barely had time to settle in when Mick spoke. "What did you say to her?"

As he expected, Mick wanted to talk about the conversation he'd had with Beth. "The same thing I've told you a hundred times. This relationship won't work. Why are you're torturing yourselves with the idea that it will is beyond me."

"But you haven't. You've barely spoken to me about Beth for months. You've barely even spoken _to_ Beth for months. Why now? What changed?"

Josef considered that. "The truth? This case you've got? Vampire married to a human? That'll be you in a few years time. I saw the way you two looked at each other. You love each other enough to ruin your lives. I don't want to watch you go down that road again."

The same thoughts had been going through Mick's mind for some time. He had ignored them, choosing to live in the present. "You don't know that," Mick said in a low voice.

"Yes, I do. What were you planning to do? Turn her? I know you, Mick. You could never do that. You couldn't take away her precious humanity. Until you accept what you are, that is a line you will never cross. So, barring hell freezing over, your precious Beth will grow old and die. And she'll take you with her."

It almost worked. Almost. Josef saw the pain and acceptance cross Mick's face. He felt bad for his friend, but this was for his own good. Mick looked at Josef with a small smile. The older vampire's face fell.

"I can't abandon her, Josef. I won't. I'd rather spend one lifetime with her than eternity alone."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." Josef got up to leave.

"We're not done here," Mick informed him.

"Oh?"

"You explained the why, but not the what. I want to know exactly what you said her."

For the first time, Josef looked uncomfortable. "I already told you. I said that you relationship wasn't healthy. That's it."

"No, that's not it. Whatever you said struck a deeper nerve than that." Mick paused, thoughtful. "Surely you wouldn't be stupid enough to threaten her."

Josef made an almost imperceptible step back. Mick notice and came tearing over the desk with lightening speed. He hauled Josef up against the wall by the scruff of the neck, anger blazing out of his hazel eyes.

"You did, didn't you? How dare you?"

"I was only looking out for you, Mick," Josef gasped. There was fear in Josef's eyes that Mick had never seen before.

"Why? Why would you say that to her? You have a problem, take it up with me. Leave her out of it."

"I hoped she'd be the sensible one. I was wrong. Are you going to let me down so I can explain?

Mick let Josef down reluctantly. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear Josef's explanation. A big part of him wanted to drive a stake through Josef's heart and let him stew for a while. Still he felt compelled to hear his friend out. Josef stood in front of Mick, slightly hunched over massaging his neck. He looked up at Mick with slightly fearful eyes. He took a deep breath.

"It started out just the way I said. I told her that your relationship was unhealthy. I asked her why she wanted to put you both through this ordeal." He paused to catch his breath.

"What did she say?" Mick asked.

"We'd rather spend what time we have together than regret what could have been. That's a direct quote."

_Just when you think she's done surprising you, Mick thought._ He grinned. "That's my girl. I take it that wasn't good enough for you?"

Josef looked down at the floor. There, he saw a framed photo Mick had knocked over when he jumped over the desk. It was Mick and Beth, sitting on Mick's couch. Josef had never seen his friend so happy. He straightened and faced Mick.

"Not at the time. I told her that if she hurt you, I'd make her regret it." The anger blazed in Mick's eyes again. "Now before you get all stake happy on me, let me remind you that I was fulfilling the traditional, clichéd best friend role. Although now I wish I'd kept my mouth shut."

"What'd you mean 'not at the time'?" Mick said through gritted teeth.

"It means that surrender is the better part of valor. I may not understand it, but I can live with it. In fact, I feel bad for the next person who tries to come between you and Beth." He paused. "Are we OK?"

Mick search Josef's face for a second. "Just one more thing." Then he let loose a right hook at Josef's jaw. As Josef staggered, Mick said, "Now we're OK. But if you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again, you'll find yourself on the wrong end of a very sharp sword."

Josef rubbed his jaw. "Fair enough."

_To be continued…_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six******

Mick came downstairs the next day to find Beth sitting in his living room, sipping coffee and reading her newspaper. He often found her that way since he'd given her a key to his place. The first time that happened, he'd asked her why she read the paper when she worked for an internet news site. _Some habits are hard to break, _she replied with a smile. Mick enjoyed having her there when he woke up; it was as if she belonged there.

"Morning," Mick said as he passed her on his way to the kitchen.

"Afternoon, actually," she replied. "It's almost one thirty."

"Why are you drinking coffee if it's afternoon?"

"Because I only woke up an hour ago and I don't function well without my caffeine," she informed him.

"So you came to drink mine?"

"I like yours better. Besides, it's no fun if I can't drink it at home."

"But--," Mick started to say and then abruptly stopped. _You think of this as home?_ Mick marveled. _Well, about the only thing you do at your apartment anymore is sleep. It makes sense, I guess._ To cover his gaffe, Mick started rummaging in the secret fridge for his blood. He quickly found a fresh bag of A positive and poured it in a glass. He brought the glass over to the couch and grabbed the front page as he sat down, sipping his blood as he read. Beth had insisted he drink in front of her early on. The fact that she wasn't grossed out by it never ceased to amaze him.

"So are we headed out to the cabin today?" Beth asked as she finished with the paper.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. That's the plan. Did you see this article on the Holdsworth Corporation? It says here that their stock went through the roof yesterday when they guaranteed huge second quarter earnings."

"And the significance of that is…"

"Holdsworth is one of Guggenheim's biggest competitors. They specialize in computers."

It was as if a light bulb went on in Beth's head. "And what better way to guarantee earning than to present the revolutionary operating system of your arch nemesis."

"Exactly."

"But we didn't find any evidence that Jack was in contact with Holdsworth or anybody else."

"I doubt Jack would leave that kind of information just lying around. If it's anywhere, it'll be at the cabin. Let's go," Mick said as he laid the paper down.

Beth beat him to the door; Mick had stopped to grab his coat from its hook. They headed down to Mick's car and climbed in. Making sure the top was securely latched, Mick started the Mercedes and made his way out of the city proper. They headed up behind the Hollywood sign and pulled off down an unpaved road. Rather abruptly, the road ended a couple miles down. Mick shut off the car.

"Where to now?" Beth asked.

"We walk. It's about half a mile that way." He pointed off to the left.

As she came around the front of the car, Beth noticed a rudimentary trail heading off in the direction Mick had indicated. _Where's a yellow brick road when you need one?_ Beth thought. Carefully, Mick and Beth made their way down the narrow, overgrown path. The trees overhead were dense enough to keep out most of the sun's harmful rays, for which Mick was thankful. He didn't want a repeat of the desert. After ten minutes of walking, he saw it.

"There it is. In that clearing. Janelle was right; it is secluded," Mick said.

"Did she mention it was rundown and creepy?"

"Somehow she missed that."

Mick walked up to the wooden door and pushed it open, breaking the lock open in the process. The cabin appeared to be deserted. Mick stepped across the threshold and was greeted by the smell of wood smoke. The cabin was deserted now, but it had been occupied recently. On one side of the single room, a palate was haphazardly thrown in a corner. A mini fridge sat in the opposite corner. It was empty.

As Mick examined the area around the fridge, Beth said, "I think I saw a generator on the side of the cabin. That would explain the fridge. It looks like he left in a hurry. Are you sure this is the same cabin?"

"Yeah. Maybe Jack cleared it out after he married Janelle. Thought he wouldn't need it again."

"Maybe. He didn't leave very much, if that's the case. All I can see is this rundown table and a chest of drawers."

Beth dug through the drawers, pawing through old clothes. The bottom of the third drawer felt different from the others. Beth pressed down on it and heard a latch release. She pried up the false bottom and peered inside.

"Mick, I think I found something."

"What is it?" he said, as he came up behind her.

She pulled out a blue folder and handed it to Mick. "It appears to be all of Jack's research."

Mick took the proffered folder from Beth. Sure enough, page after page of coding was inside. _Why would he leave it?_ Mick wondered. He flipped the folder over; there was a post it on the back. It read, _Josef Konstantin, Slip 94, 9 o'clock.  
_  
_To be continued…_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven******

Mick pulled out his phone. _Crap. No signal. Too many damn trees. If this is some sort of wild goose chase, especially now…Stop. Conclusion jumping is bad.  
_  
"We have to go," Mick said suddenly.

"Why?"

"Look at the back." He handed Beth the folder and turned to head out of the cabin.

Beth gasped. "Josef? Our Josef? Does this mean what I think it means?"

"What?" Beth called. She sounded far away, even to Mick. He turned around. Beth was running to keep up with him. He'd torn off towards the car without realizing it. Just then, Beth stumbled. Mick caught her before she hit the ground.

"Wow. You're better than Lassie."

Mick chuckled. "At least you're not down a well. Can you walk? Might be easier if I carried you though. We're kind of in a hurry."

Beth rolled her eyes. "Always in hurry, you vampires. It's not like you're going anywhere." There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She gave an exaggerated sigh. "If you must." She buried her head in his shoulder, content to remain in his arms. It was safe there. Once she was settled, Mick covered the remaining ground in a matter of seconds.

"I'm still not used to that," Beth said as Mick gently put her in the passenger seat.

"Used to what?"

"Vampire speed. It's one thing watching some move that fast. Another thing entirely to be the person moving that fast."

Mick glanced over her with concern. "You're not dizzy or anything?"

"No, I'm fine." She grinned. "I'm just going to sit here and contemplate all the advantages of having a vampire for a boyfriend while you drive."

Mick thought of the kiss from the night before and Beth's promise afterward. His eyes clouded with desire for a moment. _We'll have to see about those advantages,_ he thought. The he jerked back to the present. _Dock. Josef. Phone._ Mick went around to the driver's side, got in, and checked his phone again. Still no signal. _What is it with cell phone coverage in LA, _he mused. Mick started the car and groaned. The road was too narrow to turn around; they were going to have to back down in order to reach the main road. That treacherous feat accomplished, Mick tried Josef again. Finally, the call went through.

"You lied to me," Mick said when Josef answered.

"What's going on? What did you find?"

"We found were Davis has been for the past few days."

"Where?"

"His cabin in the Hollywood hills."

"Did you find him?"

"No, we found his research though. Apparently, he has an important meeting at the docks tonight."

"Meeting? With who?"

"You." Josef was silent. "Now the way I see it, this can play out one of two ways. One, you knew all along where Davis was and were playing with my head. Two, someone's gone to a great deal of trouble to set you up. I hope for your sake it's the latter."

Finally, Josef spoke. "I don't play games. You know that."

"Then why does Jack have a meeting with you at nine o'clock?"

"I have no idea. It's news to me."

"OK, we're on our way over there. We need to try to sort this out. Is Ryder around?"

"Yeah."

"Get him too. We need to check Jack's phone records."

Beth started digging in her bag for her phone as Mick hung up. "I'm going to call Josh," she told him.

"Josh? Why?"

"You said it was possible that someone set Josef up. Right now, our leading candidate is the Holdsworth Corporation. I was going to ask Josh if the DA's office was running an investigation on them."

"What sort of investigation?"

"Software piracy, fraud, discrimination. It doesn't really matter what it is. It would give us an idea of whether or not they're involved in this."

Mick glanced sidelong at her. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

Beth sighed. "No, I can do it. Besides shouldn't you concentrate on the road?"

"I'm great at multi-tasking."

"So I've noticed. I got this." Beth hadn't spoken to Josh in nearly six months. Not since he came to get his stuff from her apartment. Mick was there at the time. It was not a pleasant conversation. Even though it was early evening, Beth called Josh's direct line. She hoped he was still in the office.

"Josh Lindsay."

"Hi, Josh. It's Beth."

"Still shaking up with your PI friend?" Josh asked, his voice dripping with venom.

"We're not shaking up, Josh. I explained this to you. I'm not going to justify my actions or my feelings to you. I love him. He loves me. And that's all you need to know."

"So do you have a reason for calling or are you just trying to torment me?"

"I need a favor."

"A favor? That's rich coming from you. You leave me for a PI with a questionable past, and you need a favor from me."

"Look, if you don't want to do it, that's fine. I'll find the information I need another way. I was hoping we could be adults about this. Apparently, I was wrong. Goodbye, Josh."

"Beth, wait. You're right. I'm being an ass. What kind of information are you looking for?"

"Is the DA's office running an investigation on the Holdsworth Corporation?"

"Yeah. On Alexei Derenyenko, the CEO. For securities fraud."

"Anything else you can tell me?"

"Just that he seems to be stock piling money in an offshore account. We're not sure where. He's been good at covering his tracks. We've got surveillance on him so he can't skip the country."

"Thanks, Josh. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Beth."

_To be continued…_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight******

They arrived at Josef's at six thirty. Mick hoped that Ryder would be able to work his telephonic magic quickly, if they had any hope of getting to the dock by nine. When Mick and Beth got off the elevator Josef was there to greet them.

"Time's a-wastin', kids. I'm not getting any older," Josef said in an unusually cheery voice. Mick realized Josef was overcompensating for all the drama he'd caused over the last day and a half.

"Relax, Josef. We think we know who's setting you up. We just need to Ryder to confirm for us," Mick said.

Mick followed Josef in to the latter's office, taking Beth's hand as he did. Mick wanted to make sure she stayed close. Josef noticed the small show of affection and nodded slightly. It was good to see his friend happy for a change; all that brooding was depressing.

"Did I hear my name?" Ryder asked as they entered the room.

"Yeah. Do you think you could patch into some cell phone records for us?" Mick asked.

"No problem." Mick handed Ryder the number to Jack's cell phone.

Josef asked, "So while we're waiting got Mr. England to get those, do you mind telling me who's setting me up?"

"Alexei Derenyenko," Beth said. "Do you know him?"

"Of course I do. Power hungry bastard. Why would he wasn't to set me up?"

"We're not entirely sure he did. At least not alone."

"Color me confused."

"We'll explain once Ryder gets us those records."

Ryder chose that moment to pump his fist in triumph. "I got 'em. Damn, I'm good."

"That was fast," Mick said, surprised.

"What did I tell you? Master of all things telephonic," Josef said with a sardonic smile.

"According to these," Ryder continued, "this Jack Davis called the same number a total of thirty-two time in the past three days."

"What's the number?"

"310-555-2448."

Josef's eyes narrowed. "That's Alexei's number."

"You have one of your arch enemies numbers memorized?" Beth asked.

"Yeah. Businessmen talk. Especially to our enemies. Easier to watch you back with open lines of communication."

Mick interjected, "It doesn't matter. The point is I think we figured out what's going on."

Josef crossed his arms across his chest. "Enlighten me."

"Beth, would you like to start?"

"According to the DA's office, Derenyenko is under investigation for securities fraud. He's got an offshore account somewhere. I think he's been siphoning off funds from Holdsworth's profits. The feds have started to notice. To distract them, he needs to make a lot of money from some big flashy idea. With the press and investigators distracted, he'll be able to make a run for it, taking his money with him."

"And he wants Hermes to be his big flashy idea?"

"Exactly."

Ryder raised his hand like a schoolboy. "Can I ask a question?"

"Shoot."

"This guy who's number you gave me. What's his role in this?"

Mick fielded that. "Well, I thought there'd be no way he'd hand over his research to the highest bidder, but I was wrong. He would if it meant taking his wife and setting up someplace else. Give her the life he thought she deserved. Especially if someone threatened to tell his wife what he was."

"So Alexei blackmailed Davis? And wanted to make it look like it was me?" Josef asked, getting angrier by the second.

"Best as we can figure." Mick looked at his watch; it was nearly eight o'clock. "Beth, we need to hurry if we're going to get down to the docks."

"Why don't you fly? It'll save time," Josef said.

"Josef, you can't just fly into the Port of Los Angeles."

"In a helicopter you can. I've got mine standing by on the roof. I'm coming with you."

Mick looked at Josef quizzically. "Who are you and what have you done with Josef?"

"Guy blackmails one of my employees, tries to ruin my reputation and causes drama between me and my friends. I want witness his end. Hell, I may even cause it. Aren't you always telling me I should get out more?"

"I never expected you to listen to me," Mick responded.

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it."

_To be continued…_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine******

The helo landed on the roof of the tallest building in the Port of Los Angeles. Mick, Beth and Josef climbed out quickly so the helo could take off again. Airspace around the port was still restricted; they didn't want to take any chances of mortal interference.

Beth went over to the ledge and looked down. "No _way_. We're not jumping from here. Not gonna happen."

"It's only six stories, Beth. You'll be fine," Mick reassured her.

"Aw, is Beth afraid of heights?" Josef asked mockingly.

She spun around. "No! And for the record, people who are afraid of heights are more afraid of the fall than they are of the height." She still looked uncomfortable though.

Mick wrapped his arms around her. "I've got you. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Beth took a deep breath. "OK, I'm ready."

Mick picker her up effortlessly. She wound her arms tightly around his neck as he stepped onto the ledge. "Are you sure you want to do this, Josef? I know how much you hate this sort of thing."

Josef stepped onto the ledge. "What's the point of being a vampire if you don't let loose every once in a while? Besides, I have a personal score to settle." And with that, Josef jumped towards the ground.

Making sure he had a firm grip on Beth, Mick followed suit. He landed heavier than he intended, but safely. As he put her down, Beth said, "Now I understand why people bungee jump."

Mick glanced at his watch. "It's eight thirty. We need to find slip 94."

"This is slip 58," Josef said pointing to the sign across from them.

"OK, so we'll head down that way." Mick pointed off to the left. "Keep to the shadows as much as possible. We don't want anyone to notice us."

Josef saluted him. "Yes, sir, Captain America."

Luckily for them a ship of one sort or another, casting shadows that kept them relatively hidden, occupied nearly every slip. Mick led the way, followed by Beth. Josef brought up the rear. As they approached slip 94, Mick saw a non-descript car sitting in front of it. Quickly ducking behind a palate, Mick pointed the car out to the others.

"Who is it?" Beth whispered.

"Jack, I think. He matches the picture Janelle gave me."

"So now what do we do?" Josef asked.

"I'm going to talk to him. You two stay here." Mick looked significantly at Josef, who understood perfectly. _Watch her._ Mick stepped out from behind the palate and approached the car.

"You're not Alexei," came a voice from inside it.

"No. I'm Mick St. John. You're wife is worried about you."

"She won't have to worry much longer."

"You don't have to do this. Let's get you out of here. I'll deal with Alexei."

"I'm supposed to trust you? You're like me. A vampire. Not exactly known for trustworthiness. Or caring. My way is just as good. I get paid; Alexei gets his program. Everybody wins," Jack argued.

"I do understand. I'm actually in a similar situation." Jack looked at Mick in surprise. "The only difference is she already knows what I am."

"And she doesn't care? It doesn't bother her that you'll never have children? That you'll have to watch her grow old and die?"

Mick thought about that. "I think it bothers me more than it bothers her. But you're not even giving Janelle the choice. If you love her, at least give her that."

Headlights illuminated the dock. A short, balding man got out of the limousine as it came to a stop. He was dressed immaculately in a crisp designer suit. Alexei Derenyenko walked calmly up to Mick.

"Am I interrupting?" he said in a thick Russian accent.

"Yes, you are actually. We were just leaving."

"I'm afraid no one is going anywhere until I get my program." Mick felt a gun in the small of his back. "I wouldn't try anything. It's loaded with silver bullets."

Beth watched in horror as the scene unfolded. At the words "silver bullets," flashes of Lee Jay Spaulding and silver buckshot ran through her mind. She turned to Josef, "We have to do something."

"Mick's a big boy; he can handle it."

Anger flared on Beth's face. "Why did you come? I thought you had a score to settle. Well, there it is. Settle it."

Josef looked from Beth to Mick and back again. He sighed. "Fine. But you stay here. Anything happens to you and Mick will have my head. Literally." _There's a reason you let Mick do this sort of thing, _Josef thought as he cleared the palate.

Just then, there was a flurry of motion. Mick turned, grabbed Alexei's wrist and forced the gun skyward. It went off harmlessly in the air. "Apparently, you didn't get the memo, Alexei. Vampires move faster than humans."

The driver of the limo opened the door and pointed a riot gun in Mick's direction. He never got to use it. Josef snapped his neck effortlessly from behind. Mick saw him out of the corner of his eye.

"Getting your hands dirty, Josef?"

"Nah, his neck was clean." he walked up to Mick, who still had Alexei by the wrist.

"Would you like to have the honors?"

"Allow me."

Pure fear shot across Alexei's face. Josef held him by the shoulders as his teeth pierced Alexei's neck. A minute later, he was dead. Josef carelessly dropped the body to the ground and licked his lips. "Now I know why I stick with my harem."

Beth came running out from behind the palate. She threw her arms around Mick and hugged him tightly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Not even a scratch."

"When he said silver bullets, all I could think of was Lee Jay and his silver buckshot."

"I'm fine," he said again.

"See, I told you he could take care of himself," Josef said. Beth laughed as she released Mick.

Jack watched the tableau before him with interest. Could it work out for him the way it appeared to for Mick? There was only one way to find out. He cleared his throat. The others looked at him in surprise. Mick had forgotten he was there. "Sorry to interrupt, but I have a wife to get back to."

"Wait. Shouldn't he be debriefed or something? Isn't that what happens now?" Josef asked.

"I don't think that's necessary, Josef. Let the man go home to his wife."

_I think Mick's starting to rub off on me,_ Josef thought idly. "Fine. I have better things to do anyway. The Japanese market opens in an hour."

_To be continued…_


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note:** This is the bit we're all waiting for on the show. I'm kind of nervous posting it, but here goes. This chapter is the reason for the M rating, so consider yourselves warned! Enjoy!**  
**

**Chapter Ten**

Mick and Beth stood outside Beth's apartment in awkward silence. The last time they were there Beth promised that Mick would stay the night. She, for one, was determined to keep that promise. As she pulled out her keys to open the door, Mick said, "You know that if I come in there, everything is going to change, right?"

"I know that."

"There's no going back."

"Who said anything about going back? I want to go forward. With you. Right now." And with that, she opened the door and stepped inside. Mick still hesitated, the conflict evident on his face. Beth turned around and gave him her most seductive smile, said, "You coming?" and made her way towards the bedroom.

Still not quite believing this was happening, Mick stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him. He retraced Beth's path to the bedroom, like a lion stalking its prey. He found her there silhouetted in the window by the moonlight. He had never seen her look more beautiful. Mick walked over to her and kissed her fiercely. She willingly accepted his onslaught. Mick snaked an arm around her waist to pull her closer. Coming up for air, Beth said, "You have entirely too many clothes on."

Her hands were at his waist clawing at the hem of his Henley. She slid her hands underneath his shirt and felt the taut abs beneath it. As her hands moved higher, the Henley bunched up around her arms. Each thumbs grazed his nipples, which immediately hardened. Mick shuddered.

"Let me take care of this," he said as he pulled the shirt over his head. Beth placed feather-light kisses down his torso, driving him crazy. It had been so long since a woman had touched him that way. When she reached his waist, she turned her eyes up towards his, seeking permission. Mick nodded. Beth unhooked his belt, no easy feat considering the large bulge in the front of his pants. Pulling the belt free, Beth unclasped his jeans and pulled down the zipper. She reached up and pushed the jeans down over his hips, revealing a pair of red silk boxers . Beth's hand stroked the front of Mick's boxers, eliciting a loud moan of pleasure. Soon the boxers too found their way to the floor.

Beth marveled at the sight before her. Mick, naked, standing in the moonlight. Her own personal Adonis. "You're perfect," she whispered. She knelt down in front of him, intent on worshipping at her newfound altar. Beth wrapped her small hand around his cock and began to slowly stroke him. Wrapping her lips around the head, she swirled her tongue around him, causing him to clutch the wall for support. More of his cock disappeared into her mouth as she sucked with increasing pleasure. Mick had never felt anything like it in his eighty-five years. It was heaven. But he also knew that if she kept it up he wasn't going to last. He gently tugged on her hair with his free hand indicating for her to stop. She released him with a wet plop.

Suddenly Beth, still fully clothed, was being carried to the nearby bed. Mick laid her down and began to slowly undress her. She moved to help him but he swatted her hands away. "Let me," he said. He was determined to give as good as he got.

Her blouse came off first, revealing vast expanses of alabaster skin. Mick placed a series of kissed along her collarbone as he reached around to unclasp her bra, which also found its way to the floor. He lowered his mouth to her breast, suckling on the already hardened peak. Beth's hands tangled in his hair as she tried to bring his head closer. Mick turned his attention to the other breast. Meanwhile, he slid his hand down Beth's stomach to unhook her pants. He pushed her pants down over her hips. When he could reach no farther, he moved down to her feet and finished pulling them off.

Mick knelt at her feet for several long seconds, mesmerized. Beth spread her legs slightly and Mick was struck with the musky scent of her arousal. He placed a kiss on each inner thigh before moving to her core. His fingers spread her labia as his tongue slid across her opening and up to her clit. He plunged his tongue inside her as she wantonly thrust her hips. "Oh my God, Mick. Please," she moaned.

That was all the encouragement he needed. Mick snaked his way up her body and positioned himself at her entrance. He looked in her eyes, asking without words if she was ready. She nodded. With a grunt, he plunged his cock into her. She was so tight; he wanted to give her a few seconds to adjust to his size. She felt like fire around him; if he didn't move she'd burn him alive. Slowly he began to withdrawal. Beth locked her legs around his waist, altering the angle of his thrusts. With each thrust Mick lost a little more of his control. His thrusts became harder, faster, more erratic. He could sense Beth's climax approaching. She began to spasm around him as she called out his name. He continued to thrust through her orgasm to make it last as long as possible. A few more thrusts and he joined her in bliss.

Spent, Mick rolled off her. Needing to feel his skin against hers, Beth laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart return to its normal rhythm. After a few minutes, she said, "Why did we wait to do that again?"

Mick laughed. "We were stupid."

"Yes, we were."

"Good to know that we'll be doing it plenty from now on."

"I love you, Mick."

"I love you, too, Beth."

They drifted off to sleep, safe in each other's arms.

_Epilogue to come..._


	11. Chapter 11

**Epilogue******

Mick received an unexpected visitor to his office a few weeks later. Jack Davis sat in one of the leather chairs, his eyes darting aimlessly around the room. He and Mick sat there in silence for a long time. Mick kept looking at his watch every few minutes, wishing that Jack would say whatever it was he came to say. Beth would be home from Buzz Wire soon; Mick wanted to be able to greet her properly when she got there. Finally, he could take it no longer.

"Was there something specific you wanted?" he asked.

Jack's eyes focused on Mick for the first time since entering the office. "Yeah, I wanted to thank you for what you said as the docks. And I wanted to give you this." He tossed an envelope on the desk. "It's the rest of your fee. Janelle insisted I bring it before I left."

"How is she?"

"She's still adjusting. When I got home, I told her the truth. She took it better than I thought she would. She seemed more relieved that I wasn't cheating. Things are slowly returning to normal for us. For that, I'm thankful."

Mick was slightly confused. "Didn't you just say you were leaving?"

"Oh that. Your buddy Josef asked me to examine some Japanese supercomputer for him. I'll only be gone a couple of days." Jack got up to leave.

"Hold on a second. There are a couple of things about your situation that still don't make sense. How did you keep that fact that you're a vampire from Janelle? How did Alexei find out what you were? Why drag Josef into it?"

Jack sighed. "Keeping secrets is pretty much standard operating procedure for vampires, you know that. Janelle and I were quite the whirlwind in the beginning. All our dates ended at her place. We hardy ever ate out in public. When we did, I'd pretend to eat and then drink a bag of blood in the men's room. It wasn't hard. Things grew complicated when we married. I always appeared to fall asleep in our bed, but when she was asleep, I'd move to my freezer. I'd make sure I was there in the morning when she woke up."

"Didn't you hate lying to her?"

"Of course. I kept telling myself it was for her own good. I was too cowardly."

"What about Alexei?"

"Alexei had one of his minions come sniffing around our building. I was there working late; he broke into my office. We scuffled. I'm afraid he saw me loose control."

"And you let him live?"

"I don't kill humans. Besides, I didn't even realize what I had done until I received Alexei's demand for Hermes."

"And Josef?"

"That was Alexei's idea. He saw this as an opportunity to take out Josef for good, both financially and professionally."

Mick heard the door to his apartment open. _Damn._ He missed Beth. Jack noticed the disappointment on Mick's face. "I can see you have something better to do than talk to me." He paused at the door. "You're very lucky to have her."

"I know."

Jack closed the office door just as Beth came through the connecting door from the apartment. "Was that Jack Davis in here just now?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was."

"What'd he want?"

"To drop off the rest of my fee and thank me."

Beth walked across the room and sat down in Mick's lap. "Thank you for what?"

"Giving him the courage to tell Janelle the truth."

"So they're OK?"

"It appears so."

"Well, if Janelle is half as in love with Jack as I am with you, they'll be fine." Beth bent her head towards his and kissed him fiercely, leaving them both breathless. Suddenly, she jumped up and gave him a lecherous grin. "See you upstairs," she said as she turned and ran out of the office. Mick gave her a ten-second head start before running after her, eager to finish what they started.

FINIS


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